3-tier

When a customer comes into your tasting room, service should be and always is the top priority. Friendly faces and warm greetings are prevalent and everyone is focusing on that visitors satisfaction. If someone has a question, you are there to give an answer. If someone has an issue or special request, you are there to resolve and fulfill it. Most importantly, your customers know how much you appreciate their business and them.

Much has been written about the benefits of direct shipments to consumers since Granholm opened up many states to legal interstate shipping. There is much worthy conversation about the growth in consumer shipments, the growing dependence of smaller boutique wineries and specialty retailers on direct to consumer sales in markets otherwise unavailable to them, and the greater margins to be realized by selling directly to the ultimate consumer rather than through the wholesale tier.

It looks like the Texas retailer case of Siesta Village Market is headed back to court for a second look. The plaintiff’s announced they are petitioning for a rehearing of the panel’s decision a few weeks back to refuse to rehear the case en banc before of the entire 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. The plaintiffs understand it is necessary to exhaust their options before the full Court of Appeals before proceeding to the Supreme Court, should it come to that. The plaintiffs cited the following in their petition:

A few recent developments on the direct shipping front of which you should be aware:

Texas: The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has refused a rehearing en banc of last January’s Siesta Village Market decision by a panel of 5th Circuit judges. The panel had ruled to uphold the Texas law prohibiting out-of-state retailers from shipping consumer direct to Texas residents. This means such retailer shipments will remain illegal unless one of two things occurs: